Hell Week Wrap

The morning rain and amazingly powerful winds kept me off the bike on the final official day of Hell Week 2010. The winds are steady at 20-30 mph with gusts above 40 mph making it to unsafe in my mind to go out and attempt a ride.

All in all I'm very pleased with Hell Week. I set a very lofty goal for myself coming into the week (850 miles) and while I did not reach the goal I did complete an amazing amount of mileage in a single week. I felt a lot better than I expected and had strength for climbs and attacks that I never anticipated. Even in the closing miles of our longest days I still had the energy to sprint and snap up the steep hills coming into town, which showed a great improvement throughout the week. Also of note, my heart rate improved dramatically throughout the week and I found myself able to summit long ascents without sky rocketing my heart rate. This proved very useful and also let me know my fitness was improving by the day.

Finally, the Ridley Damocles frame set was amazing over the full week. The geometry was sharp without being nervous and it responded very well on all of the climbs. The carbon also provided enough damping to keep me fresh throughout the week, but never felt flexible or weak when I needed to put down power. The roads here are primarily chip & seal and would normally prove tough on hands and arms, but instead I came off the bike feeling good each day. The Bontrager wheels and Tufo S33 tires also worked great and held up perfectly over rough roads, cattle guards and every variety of road hazard you can imagine.

I am looking forward to the rest of my 2010 cycling year and hope to have a strong season on the bike.

Totals:
Mileage: 638.61 miles
Elevation Gain: 36,469 feet
Saddle Time: 36 hours, 53 minutes
Calories: 34,876 (according to Garmin)

Hell Week Day 8 - Rain, Wind & Snow

It is the morning of Hell Week Day 8 - Saturday, March 20th and I am trying to decide if I will chance the roads. We just had thunderstorms roll through so the roads are a mess, and the wind speed just hit 25+mph. Add to that the lack of sun and a temperature of 36 degrees (feels like... less). Decisions, decisions. If the weather were better I would already be riding, but given the circumstances I am just not sure it would be a good idea.

Probably not, but you never know. More later, should the situation change.

Sadly, I did not ride today. I wanted to pretty badly, but the wind speeds are just too high with sustained winds at 30 mph and 40+ mph gusts. After breakfast I did walk around town for awhile and it actually began to snow for about 30 minutes. Nothing stuck, but it was another clear indication of the unfriendly weather. Despite not reaching my ultimate goal mileage, I had an awesome week here in Fredericksburg and you can read a little bit more in my wrap up.


Hell Week Wrap -->

Hell Week Day 7 - Southern Comfort 1.75

Distance: 100 miles (Garmin accidentally turned off for a bit)
Time: 5:42:51
Elevation Gain: 5,817 ft

A fierce 18+ mph wind was blowing out of the South Southeast when we rolled out from the Sunset Inn this morning so we decided to stick to the route going out, then modify it in Waring / Welfare and give ourselves a nice tailwind coming back to the barn. As a result we logged a little over 70 miles (I accidentally turned off the Garmin at one point) and when I returned to the B&B I felt good enough to head due North into some hills for extra miles. The return trip was tough, but the views were well worth the extra effort.

With only one day left to go in Hell Week and the weather becoming ever more questionable (T-Storms & 24+ mph winds) we decided to make the most of our last day and the four of us that are still here (Chuck, Jeff, Tom & me) stuck together for the duration. Chuck, as always, slaughtered us on every climb. Jeff was riding great today as well and I really enjoyed his company throughout the day. Tom, of course, was our tour guide and did the lion's share of the work.

We rolled south for quite a ways and battled the headwind for many miles. The climbs were already going to be tough, then add in a hard headwind and they get that much more difficult. Still, we stuck together and had a great time. I heard another mix of great stories today (again, as usual) about Hell Week's past and this helped pass the time nicely. Coming up to the Old Tunnel area I managed to drop my bottle in the middle of a climb. I retrieved it thanks to another kind cyclist, and Chuck waited for me until I got it back and we continued.

After the Old Tunnel / Bat Cave and heading toward Waring we picked up a massive group of cyclists. Our number swelled from 4 to 25 in about a mile. Still fighting the headwind we plodded down the road and none of them (despite catching us as a group) offered to come around and pull. Jeff had a great idea and told me to just start soft pedaling and drop the pace. We did so and got as slow as 12 mph before people finally started coming around. The whole group passed us, Jeff and I giggling the entire time, before we accelerated and got on the back. The others decided they wanted to let a gap open but I had other plans.

Since I wanted them all to learn how to work I got on the back and waited a few minutes, then slipped outside and went up toward the front. Coming into a short drop at a water crossing I dove out and attacked. I sprinted off in hopes they'd take the bait... and they did. With a 100 meter gap I slowed and allowed the pack to close on me and simply retake my draft. I then attacked again and opened another large gap then sat up and pedaled at a decent pace and allowed them to catch me... this continued for another three or four attacks before I finally pulled wide and allowed them to come around. I don't know that it made any real point to them, but for me it was just a great example of how people ride like lemmings. Rather than set their own pace or ride within themselves, they simply race after whoever is up the road and then sit on that person's wheel until they absolutely have to come around.

In Waring we filled up at the fantastic convenience store / dance hall and then headed out of town toward Comfort. In Comfort we modified the route and headed due North back toward Fredericksburg and took full advantage of the now incredible tailwind. We rolled back into town and I headed toward the B&B that Betty and I rented for the week. Upon arriving I checked the computer and saw only 68 miles on the ticker. I knew we had worked hard, but I really wanted more miles.

After refilling water and eating a few more Fig Newtons I headed North on Adams to Lower Crabapple and followed that due North toward Route 965. I rode up about 12 miles before turning around (80 miles now on the Garmin) and heading South back toward town and into a very strong wind. The views were incredible going out coming back in so it was well worth the effort. Add to that some excellent climbs coming back in and it made for a great little extension to the day's route.

Hell Week Day 8 -->

Hell Week Day 6 - Windows on Doss

Distance: 108.67 miles
Time: 6:16:16
Elevation Gain: 6,459 ft

For the day's ride we joined back up with the main group and completed the longest ride of Hell Week short of the self supported Brevets taking place on Tuesday (200k) and Friday (300k). Windows on Doss also happened to take in the most elevation gain of the week at just shy of 6,500 feet of climbing.

We started with the pack and enjoyed letting them split the wind for a good while until, as usual, fewer and fewer folks were willing to assist. Before long you could almost hear them chanting: "Don't pass the tandem, don't pass the tandem". Since the tandem can carry so much speed on a descent or flat, people simply pile in behind them, never offer to pull and slog up hills in their draft waiting for the drop on the other side. Instead, we plowed past and picked up a few cling-ons in the process. After stopping to pee and regroup we slowly caught more groups of people on the tough climbs (Welgehausen Rd) before overtaking the lead pack.

As always, once we'd caught them they let us do all the work... Tom put in a big effort on a winding road and came upon the perfect storm: Narrow road, cattle guard, one lane water crossing and a slow rider and a dualie towing a trailer coming in the opposite direction. Tom, Gary and a cling-on attacked and made the gap, I grabbed brakes with everyone else and parked behind the slower rider while the truck passed us as we crossed the narrow cattle guard... the break launched and I had to put in an effort to close the gap. The timing was great and made for great stories later.

Going down 648 we hit a massive climb and I tempo'd to the top with Tom and another guy. Down the descent on the other side I checked my six and saw no one cresting behind us, so I worked with Tom for the duration of Lange's Mill & 783 (~6 miles) to build a massive lead and leave the cling-ons well in the dust. That was the first of three major efforts for the day, and when we pulled into the store in Doss it felt as though I had bee stings in my calves!

Effort number two came a bit later in the ride as we made a run down Bear Creek Rd (mile 73) and sustained a major effort for ~2.5 miles, keeping my heart rate above 180 bpm and dropping my main protagonist in the process. Tom, Chuck and Gary hung back just enough to leave said protagonist (a guy we found on the road who more or less never pulled) hanging in the void. It was a nice touch.

Late in the ride, in the final 5 miles, I put in my final effort on Goehman Street leading back into Fredericksburg. I cranked it up and maintained 180bpm plus in an attempt to drop a cling-on. I did most of the road in the small chain ring because of the sharp ascents, but eventually went to the big ring and opened up a gap. Again, it was a lot of fun and a great way to end a long ride.

Hell Week Day 7 -->

Hell Week Day 5 - Comfort Zone 2.0

Distance: 91.63 mi
Elevation Gain: 5,912 ft
Speed: 16.8 mph

After a good night's sleep and a rest day as a result of thunderstorms it was good to get back on the bike for some long miles on tough roads. The day started easy and Gary and I sat upfront for awhile chatting and pedaling along some beautiful rolling hills. The farm country out here is just beautiful and makes the miles that much more enjoyable. IT also makes the heinous climbs more bearable when you have a view of several gorgeous valleys after slogging up an ascent and nearly blacking out...

Truth be told, while today's climbs were tough they were not quite as hard as Tour das Hugel back in November. Some tough hills lead up to Skyline, and Skyline itself had a nice steady ascent (12%) followed by some undulations, then a bottomless descent followed by another horrifically steep climb (17%). The whole road was covered in loose gravel, a bit like they'd tried to do chip & seal without the seal.

Gary's Independent Fabrication tried to eat its chain just before the second climb so Tom and I stopped to assist. A quick fix but we all doubled back for a little momentum before we attempted the climb. Following was another steep descent... I dragged the brakes for fear of loose gravel and still nearly hit 50mph. Gary went gonzo and hit 52 or 53mph.

The rest of the ride was just as memorable. We stopped for fluids in a convenience store and dance hall in Welfare, TX then dealt with some more fun climbs heading toward a bat cave. Horse farms, rolling hills, a few steep ascents and a headwind marked the miles. It truly is beautiful in this area of Texas, and nothing like the rest of this flat, lame state. Well, I should ride in East Texas before I pass judgment, and we can ride 11 months out of the year so I really need to not complain.

I feel pretty good following the ride and look forward to tomorrow's route.

Hell Week Day 6 -->

Hell Week Day 4 - Rain Forces a Rest Day

Today we rode a modified route as a result of rain, wind, cold and sore legs. It was a bit of a forced rest day and we decided not to put wheels down until 12:30p when the rain had ceased and the roads had started to dry a little.

Small flecks of wet granite sticks to tires. Small flecks of wet granite are good at digging into rubber and worming their way through the belts. Small flecks of wet granite also make great scalpels that provide flat tires. Luckily, I didn't get one that I know of... but tubulars tend to go flat more slowly so I may not know until morning.

Jeff took a flat only a few miles into the ride, and Chuck took another maybe 15 miles later. Seeing as how we were only on a 45-ish mile ride the odds were not in our favor. Still, we plodded on and took our time. Cold legs on steep hills made things rough, but in the end it was a good rest day and I felt better as the ride progressed. Toward the end I was climbing at a nice tempo but my shins -or at least the muscles that run up the front of my legs- hurt like hell.

The plan, seeing as we'll have better weather, is to ride today's route tomorrow. The normal day 5 route would take us past Enchanted Rock on 965, which is not a nice road to be on due to traffic into the park and the lack of a real shoulder. Instead, we'll ride "Comfort Zone 2.0" and hit a series of hills that top the 20% grade mark. It should be suitably painful and a good midweek challenge.

Hell Week Day 5 -->

Hell Week Day 3 - Mountain Home & Away

Distance: 105.43 miles
Time: 6:16.26
Speed: 16.8

Wow, what a day! We had a great ride today but only after suffering through some oddly cold temperatures, wind, very little sun and plenty of wind. Weather Channel says 9 mph but the flags were whipped up into a frenzy so I don't buy it.

I slept great last night and woke up this morning feeling very fresh. It took some trial and error to figure out my layers but ended up wearing my jacket and being glad that I had as the wind and cold were biting deep. Tom and Dave left early to grab some knee warmers next door so Gary and I lead the group out of the Sunset Inn, then pulled off with Alan and Chuck at Upper Live Oak to muster the troops. As we waited I enjoyed watching what seemed like an endless stream of cyclists come down the hill from Live Oak and make the turn. Eventually, at the rear of the field, Tom & Dave rolled through and we joined for what would be an excellent ride.

Six of us (Tom, Dave, Gary, Alan, Chuck & me) rolled together for the entire ride. Chuck fell back a few times but only because he set a temp for himself that he held on not only the flats and descents, but also the steep climbs. Sitting behind him on the steep climbs, and watching him roll into the horizon, was a clinic on how to ascend. A smooth tempo, steady upper body and fluid pedal circles saw Chuck fly up some very difficult climbs. I was impressed, learned what I could from watching, then spoke with him after the toughest climbs of the day.

By and large I tried to stay steady and not burn myself out. I did get sucked into a couple hard efforts but enjoyed sitting back and taking in the miles. Route 27 was a terrific road with plenty of rollers and some nice climbs as well as descents. In Ingram we met Bryce and (?) from Austin and our party became eight riders. They were good company as well and helped push the pace a little on the tough climbs. Outside of Ingram we got on Freedom Trail and Bear Creek for intense climbing. I dropped back a bit from the group here as I was conserving strength for later in the ride. In the end, I'm glad I did. Coming out of Kerrville we had to ascend the wall that was McCullough Drive (15%) and reminded me of Hugel back in November.

After McCullough we rolled easy for some miles pulling everyone back together before, as usual, the hostilities started. It was probably my fault more than anything else, but we started hitting it hard into the head wind. We encountered some steep climbs and I depended on my power and high cadence to rip to the top of the hill and recover before continuing a good pull into the wind, or giving way and taking a rest. This continued for about 8 to 10 miles before we settled and gave in to resting a bit on the way in to Fredericksburg.

Gary and I did sprint for the sign at Fredericksburg but he beat me handily on the uphill, into the wind sprint. I should have drafted a bit longer...

What a day. I felt great at the end of the day and really had a blast. I'm sore, I'm tired but I'm also really excited and still on an endorphin rush. With luck I'll wind down tonight and get another great night's sleep. We're expecting rain (thunderstorms) tonight and tomorrow morning so we may not ride until close to noon tomorrow, which would also mean a shorter route. A little extra rest will be very nice after today's effort.

Hell Week Day 4 -->

Hell Week Day 2 - LBJ Ramble

Distance: 93 miles
Time: 5:15:10
Speed: 18.0 mph

I didn't sleep well last night and more or less napped from 2am until the alarm went off at 7am. Never the less I rolled out and felt pretty good from the start. Tom mentioned regrouping at RT 290, mile marker 25, so when a group formed and broke away early I jumped into the main pack and rode hard. I moved myself to the front of the pack and helped push the pace until we reached a main road. I slid back in the pack at that point and saw some questionable riding... but turned off at Gellerman Ln to stay on the A route while almost the entire pack (save for 10 riders) continued straight on the shorter B route.

I rode with the splinter group for another few miles but tired of the pace line antics of several triathletes and decided to drop back and take it easy to recover my legs. Once I reached 290 I relaxed and waited only a couple minutes for Tom, Gary, Dave and Brent to arrive.

The A route took us on a nice tour of the area, but was plagued by strong crosswinds and headwinds for the duration of the ride.

Dave dropped back early as his native New Jersey does not suffer the same allergens as Texas and he was having a hard time breathing. The four of us soldiered on and made good time despite the wind. Gary was hurting as well and would eventually drop back a bit, then solo in on a slightly shorter route. With only three of us left to finish the route Tom, Brent and I rode steadily and maintained a good pace in the wind.

All in all it was a good day and we had a nice ride. We did get the distinct feeling that although there was a sizable (8 riders) group ahead of us, we were the only people to ride through many of the areas. Generally you see signs of people along the way (shelled riders, debris, people on the horizon) but we saw no traces throughout the ride and weren't sure if perhaps they'd cut the route short.

Either way we had a great ride and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'm looking forward to the remainder of the week and am very happy with me form on the bike. I had some lower back pain and slight knee pain (lower left knee, on the tendon) and am thinking it was brought on by torquing a bit too hard when climbing.

Hell Week Day 3 -->

Hell Week Day 1 - Going to Camp (Verde)

Distance: 93 miles
Time: 5:01:01
Speed: 18.8 mph

Today was the opening day of Texas Hell Week 2010. We had beautiful weather, great roads, excellent company and a very good day on the road. You can find map and route data at Garmin Connect.

I felt great today and had an excellent ride. This morning I met up with Tom, Allen, Dave and Gary at the EconoLodge and then headed over to the Sunset Inn for the official start. We rolled everyone out as a single group and then split the ride later on depending on what route folks wanted to travel.

Today's A Route headed south to Camp Verde and Center Point with rollers on the way down and some very difficult Tour das Hugel -esque roads on the way back to Fredericksburg. We kept a good pace the entire ride and Tom spent a lot of time pushing hard to try and drop many riders and break up the pack. It worked. While a few riders did get away ahead of us we are pretty sure they will not be around all week... there were a lot of riders here for only opening weekend so picking the right wheel to follow was critical on opening day.

I felt very good all ride and only towards the end started to get a slight headache. I may need to hydrate more in the days ahead but I felt as though my hydration and eating schedule were working well for me. Still, it may help to pull in some additional electrolytes and carbohydrates. To do so I may supplement my normal ride diet of Fig Newtons with additional Clif Blocks. While I had the Clif Blocks with me today I did not start eating those until the end, when I was out of Newtons.

Not much else to report aside from beautiful weather, excellent roads and great company. I'm looking forward to the week ahead! Based on the ride schedule for this week I will need to adjust my goal mileage down a little bit. I will not have access to the 200k route(s) I thought I would (no maps provided) so I'm shooting now for around 800 miles. Many of this week's ride fall just shy of a full century. No worries, the elevation gain and steep climbs more than make up for the extra miles!

Hell Week Day 2 -->